


天官降灾 (heaven official's calamity)

by miichan1202



Category: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Heaven Official's Blessing, MDZS, Mo Dao Zu Shi, tgcf, tian guan ci fu
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BL, Crack, HOB - Freeform, Hualian, Huā Chéng - Freeform, Lan Wangji - Freeform, M/M, MDZS - Freeform, MXTX, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Shi Qingxuan - Freeform, TGCF - Freeform, WangXian, Wèi Wúxiàn - Freeform, Xiè Lián - Freeform, danmei - Freeform, mxtx crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27367756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miichan1202/pseuds/miichan1202
Summary: in which lan wangji also waits for 800 yearscontains these ships: wangxian, hualian, 2xuan, fengqing(on hiatus)
Relationships: 2Xuan, Fengqing - Relationship, Hualian - Relationship, WangXian - Relationship, beefleaf - Relationship
Comments: 31
Kudos: 211





	1. Sounds of Guqin as White Robes Ascend I

*A/N: this story will mostly be told from Xie Lian and Lan WangJi's perspective. There will be no storytelling from Hua Cheng or Wei WuXian's perspective.

"Your highness!"

Xie Lian turned around and gently put down the rag he was polishing Fang Xin with. Feng Xin was standing by the doorway, hands placed on the doorframe.

"What do you need?" he asked.

"Your highness, someone-someone just ascended!" Feng Xin shouted through exasperated breaths.

"No need to be so hurried about that. Come on, I'll go see him or her." 

Xie Lian smiled and put down Fang Xin as well, heading out the door with Feng Xin.

"No, no, you don't understand. It's-it-." Feng Xian's voice trailed off. "You'll see when we get there."

Xie Lian was confused at what the big deal was, but all that confusion disappeared when he saw a tall, handsome man in red robes standing right outside.

"San Lang!" he yelled as he leaped into the man's arms.

"Gege," Hua Cheng said as he looked down and patted Xie Lian's hair. Xie Lian looked up and cupped Hua Cheng's face in his hands and then pressed his lips onto his. Feng Xin gagged and backed away as quickly as possible. He wasn't eating dog food today.

"San Lang, you're back?"

For the past couple of days, Hua Cheng said he had some business to take care of in ghost city, but by now it should already be dealt with, and Hua Cheng was back. Even though it was only a separation for a couple of days, it felt like forever to Xie Lian.

"Mn, I'm back. Did gege miss me?" Hua Cheng asked teasingly.

"I missed you so much!" Xie Lian exclaimed as he pulled Hua Cheng into a tight embrace once again. Hua Cheng smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Your highness..." Feng Xin couldn't take it anymore. 

Xie Lian whipped his head around to find Feng Xin staring at them, disgust visible on his face. Xie Lian's cheeks flushed red as he realized Feng Xin had been watching them this whole time. 

"Ehem." Xie Lian cleared his throat. "I think it's time we should be going. I want to see who this new heaven official is." 

The three of them set off once again toward the rebuilt great hall. The closer they came, the more people they noticed, surrounding the new heaven official so tightly that Xie Lian couldn't see a thing. He tried jumping, standing on his toes, and even levitating, but there were so many people that he couldn't see a thing. The last time an ascension was this big was when he had ascended 800 years ago!

"Gege, if you can't see, do you need me to carry you?" Hua Cheng asked, looking down at Xie Lian.

"There's no need," Xie Lian replied.

"Excuse me sir, can you move a little bit?" Xie Lian turned around to ask the heaven official in front of him.

"Ah-your highness!" the heaven official exclaimed.

"Everyone, make way for your highness!" he shouted. Everyone diverted their attention toward Xie Lian's direction. Xie Lian was a little bit flustered at all the attention, and only smiled.

"Thank you, thank you," he said to all of them. As Xie Lian passed through the crowd, he felt a strange soothing feeling the closer he got to the center. There was a slight scent of sandalwood that Xie Lian wouldn't have even been able to notice if it wasn't for his heightened senses. A suspicion rose in Xie Lian's mind at who this new heaven official was. Could it be him?

The crowds whispered at this new appearance.

"Hanguang-Jun? Didn't he refuse ascension one time?"

"Yeah, yeah. I heard he faced thousands of cultivators and fierce ghosts in one battle!"

"Really, is he that good? I'd reckon even his highness wasn't that good at this age!"

"Shh, don't let Hua ChengZhu hear that! He'll beat you to death!"

Hua Cheng only smiled coyly at the two whispering heaven officials. The two scrambled off to the side, only sighing in relief when Hua Cheng could no longer be seen.

Xie Lian on the other hand, was so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear these whispers. If he did, he would've definitely known who this new god was. He didn't notice that he had gotten to the end of the crowd until he felt a hand grab him from behind. 

"Gege, don't walk so fast. I can't even catch up with you," Hua Cheng's deep voice echoed behind him.

"Sorry!" Xie Lian turned around and smiled at Hua Cheng.

"There's no need for gege to say sorry." 

Xie Lian turned around and looked straight ahead at the person still in the center of the great hall. Even though Xie Lian had already knew that it was this person, he still felt his breath hitch a little bit at the sight of him. It was Lan WangJi.

His face was handsome and pale, like a polished piece of jade. His features were refined and elegant, giving off an air of frost. Even Xie Lian couldn't help but shiver at how frosty cold he looked. His white, flowing clothes were immaculate, not a single fold anywhere. Blue cloud patterns were embroidered on them, making the bland white into simple elegance. There appeared to be no blemishes on him anywhere, no matter how hard you looked. But the most striking thing about him were his eyes. They were so light, to the point that they appeared like stained glass. They looked almost translucent.

This face was engraved in Xie Lian's mind for the past five years, because ever since their first meeting, Xie Lian could almost know what he was doing. When they first met, he was still only 17, the age Xie Lian was when he ascended as well. He carried a guqin on his back, his hands dripping with blood. All around him were the dead bodies of thousands of cultivators, and he had not a single ally next to him.

What made Xie Lian jump down to personally meet him, what he heard him say was "no". It was barely audible, but Xie Lian was the leader of the heavens, there was nothing that he couldn't hear. There had barely been anyone in the world who had refused ascension, the only ones he knew were himself and Hua Cheng.

"This friend," Xie Lian had said in a gentle voice. He had placed his hand on Lan WangJi's shoulders, ready to pass him spiritual energy to heal his wounds, but the boy jerked his shoulder away, as if touched by hot iron. 

"Sorry," Lan WangJi had said.

"Sorry for what?" Xie Lian asked, confused.

"Sorry, I won't be able to come to heaven with your highness." 

By now, Xie Lian's name was known far and wide, so nearly everyone recognized him and called him by his official title. But Xie Lian was still a little bit taken aback by this.

"Why?" was all Xie Lian could say. 

"I still have an unfulfilled wish." Lan WangJi's voice was low and quiet, as if uttering a secret to someone. 

"What is it? If it isn't too difficult, I'd do my best to help you." Xie Lian realized these words were nearly the same ones he spoke when he first met Hua Cheng after the fall of Xian Le. He smiled at the idea that he still used the same words, so many years later. But it couldn't be so coincidental that Lan WangJi had the same wish as Hua Cheng.

"Is it money, power, victory?" After all, a war had just started raging in the cultivation world, and these wishes weren't uncommon. But surprisingly, Lan WangJi shook his head.

"Then...what is it?" Xie Lian's mind was a little blank right now.

"I have a beloved who is still in this world." Lan WangJi said this line in a low voice. It was as if lightning had struck Xie Lian from nowhere! This line was the exact same line that Hua Cheng had said to him! The image of that lantern ghost and Lan WangJi overlapped. Xie Lian felt his heart ache for this stranger he had just met. Lan WangJi was filled with boundless talent, and if he had ascended, the possibilities would be infinite! He was so talented that Xie Lian had kept his eye on him for a long time. But he refused immortality for someone he loved. Just how strong was his love?

"I see. Are you two together?" Xie Lian asked.

"No. We haven't talked in a long time."

Xie Lian felt like that sentence was another punch to his gut. 

"So, what is your wish?" Xie Lian thought that maybe it was to get together with them or to have them love him, right? It would be too coincidental if it was the same thing Hua Chen had wished.

"...I wish...to protect them."

Xie Lian was stunned! How much did Lan WangJi love that person! Xie Lian thought that Hua Cheng was the only one who would be so deep in love to say this! But here Lan WangJi was, wishing to protect his loved one, even when immortality and a lifetime of riches was right in front of him.

Without even thinking, Xie Lian's lips started to move.

"But if you remain here, you may never get a chance at ascension before...your death."

"Then I pray to never ascend."

Lan WangJi was really too similar to Hua Cheng!

"But won't they feel guilty if they find out that you gave immortality up for them?"

"Then I will make sure they never find out."

Xie Lian could almost feel the pain coming out from each word.

"Then...I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. Thank you, your highness, I'l be going now."

Xie Lian reached after the figure staggering away.

"Wait!"

Lan WangJi turned around. Despite how desolate his surroundings were and how dirty his figure was, in his light-colored eyes there seemed to be a fire.

Xie Lian uttered Hua Cheng's communication array password.

"San Lang!" he yelled in his head.

"Gege, what do you need?" Hua Cheng appeared before his eyes.

"Do you have another one of these red strings?" Xie Lian asked, pointing to the red string tied around his finger.

"No, that's the only one I have." Hua Cheng said. "Why, does gege need it for something?"

"Then do you have something similar?" Xie Lian was desperate. He felt that Lan Wangji was so similar to Hua Cheng and deserved to have his wish fulfilled. 

"Yeah I do. Gege, I'll get it for you."

Hua Cheng left with a flash, and then reappeared right in front of Xie Lian's eyes. In his hands, he had two silver rings.

"How do these work?" 

"Just like the red string, if two people both wear this, they'll be able to find each other whenever they need. Just point your finger up and this ring will turn to the direction where the person is. The ring will only fall off if the other person is dead for good."

"Thank you San Lang! I'll be right back!" 

Xie Lian exited the communication array and ran after Lan WangJi. He placed these two rings in Lan WangJi's hand and explained how they worked. 

Lan WangJi's lips parted and closed, as if he wanted to say something. In the end, he only bowed. Just as he turned around to leave for the second time, Xie Lian called out again.

"Here, take this too." Xie Lian placed a jar of pure spiritual energy into Lan WangJi's hands. 

"Thank you." Lan WangJi bowed again and left. 

Watching his figure walk away, the image of Hua Cheng overlapped in Xie Lian's mind.

_Whoever his beloved is is lucky to have him._

Xie Lian smiled and jumped back to heaven. Nobody except Xie Lian had know the reason he refused ascension, and everyone thought he had gone insane. But Xie Lian understood. How could he not? 

Xie Lian was jerked back to reality by a hand on his shoulder.

"San Lang?"

"Gege, this is the second time you've spaced out today. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just...he's familiar."

"Oh, you know him?" Hua Cheng smiled at him.

"Yeah, we met before." 

He turned around to look at Lan WangJi, who had been looking at him as well. Maybe he had been thinking of the same thing. If he had finally ascended, was his beloved safe?

"Your highness."

Xie Lian didn't know how to call Lan WangJi, so he just bowed. He turned around, and announced:

"Everyone, please welcome Lan WangJi to heaven." Loud cheers erupted. "Today, we will be celebrating the new establishment of the palace of..." Xie Lian's voice trailed off.

He looked at Lan WangJi. 

"How should I refer to you as?"

"Hanguang-Jun"

Xie Lian used the voice amplifying hand seal again.

"Please let us welcome the new palace of Han Guang!"


	2. Sounds of Guqin as White Robes Ascend II

It only took a few seconds before the great hall was completely set up for a massive celebration. Porcelain plates were placed on each of the tables, and the chairs were all padded with layers of silk cloth. Wine and drinks were brought out, along with a large assortment of food. 

"Gege, why don't we go sit over there?" Hua Cheng asked, pointing at a large seat in the center of the room. It was where Jun Wu used to sit, at the very center of heaven. Xie Lian chuckled.

"San Lang, I don't want to be so conspicuous. I should just sit like everyone else," Xie Lian replied. 

"Oh?" Hua Cheng smiled. "Then we should go find a place to sit."

"Wait, I should go find someone."

Xie Lian gestured for Hua Cheng to follow him before turning around and gazing through the crowd. His eyes landed on a tall figure wearing white and blue robes, a long ribbon flowing from his hair and a guqin fastened on his back. He sat down at a table, sipping a cup of tea. Xie Lian quickly ran up to him and sat next to him.

Lan WangJi turned sideways and bowed his head in acknowledgment. 

"Your highness," he saluted.

"HanGuang-Jun," Xie Lian returned the favor.

By now, Hua Cheng had also caught up to Xie Lian, and was scanning Lan WangJi from head to toe, his eyebrows raised.

"Gege, who's this?"

"HanGuang-Jun of the Gusu Lan sect," Xie Lian answered, looking back at Hua Cheng.

"Hua Chengzhu." Lan WangJi bowed again, this time directed at Hua Cheng. Hua Cheng nodded and one side of his lips curled up.

Xie Lian sat down beside him and smiled. Lan WangJi's face remained completely indifferent, his head only slightly nodding in acknowledgment. Xie Lian felt Hua Cheng sit down beside him before two hands hugged around his waist. Xie Lian helplessly smiled and turned around to pat Hua Cheng's head.

"Gege isn't paying attention to me," Hua Cheng said, pouting.

"San Lang, I just have some stuff to do. I'll..." Xie Lian coughed once. "I'll meet up with you later." 

Lan WangJi watched on the side, and flinched almost unnoticeably. If Xie Lian was paying attention right now, he would've seen Lan WangJi's reaction, which would've stopped him from asking what he would ask next. 

As Xie Lian turned around to face Lan WangJi, he started to speak.

"Hanguang-Jun, sorry for that. So, how have you been these past few years?" Xie Lian slightly lowered his voice when he asked the next question. "How's your beloved?"

Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow in interest and leaned in slightly, scanning lan WangJi's face again. Lan WangJi swallowed a lump in his throat. It was at that moment, Xie Lian wished that he could take back what he had said, but it was too late. A spilled cup of water couldn't be a full cup no matter what.

"Dead."

All the color drained from Xie Lian's face. There was just a war in the cultivation world not too long ago, so there was a major chance that Lan WangJi's beloved would be dead. Why did he ask that question?! 

Xie Lian didn't know what to say to Lan WangJi, so he only muttered "Sorry" to him. Even though Hua Cheng had waited for 800 years for him, at least he knew that he was alive! 

"No need to apologize."

Xie Lian felt even worse at Lan WangJi's indifferent response, as if something like this was already indifferent to him. An idea suddenly popped up in Xie Lian's mind and he opened his mouth to ask:

"Hanguang-Jun, have you tried finding their spirit? We may be able to help."

Lan WangJi nodded.

"I have not been able to find the spirit. I thought maybe it had dispersed, so I ascended to find the pieces more easily."

Before Xie Lian could answer, Hua Cheng spoke up.

"Just because you can't find it, doesn't mean it's dispersed. It just means you're not looking hard enough."

"San Lang!" Xie Lian nudged Hua Cheng with his elbow. "He's looking really hard, I know he is."

Xie Lian quietly muttered Hua Cheng's communication array password, and called Hua Cheng through his head. He explained what happened with Lan WangJi at his ascension, and Hua Cheng's hostile attitude seemed to lessen. 

Hua Cheng yawned and pulled out a scroll from his sleeves.

"Well, Hanguang-Jun, these are the people that recently entered ghost city, my domain. You can look through it and see if they're in there."

Lan WangJi's pale eyes seem to get a little bit less translucent, but that feeling was fleeting. Xie Lian looked closely at his face, and seemed to see his already downcast lips droop down just a little more.

"No."

Xie Lian expected this answer, but now that Lan WangJi had blurted it out, his heart still ached. 

"Hanguang-Jun, I'm sure that we'll be able to find them."

"No need. I'll do it myself."

Lan WangJi's voice was frosty, as if just by listening to it, you were dumped in a freezing river. Xie Lian slightly smiled in an effort to comfort Lan WangJi, and raised a cup of wine to his face.

"Hanguang-Jun, care for a drink?"

"I don't drink alcohol."

Xie Lian helplessly smiled once again and put the cup down, turning back around to talk to Hua Cheng. 

Lan WangJi sat besides them, only briefly glancing at the two beside him, before looking back toward the table in front of him. Before long, the noise of all of it had gotten to Lan WangJi, who stood up to leave. Watching Xie Lian and Hua Cheng roll around and hug each other burned Lan WangJi's heart like a fire, a slow fire that spread through his body and threatened to burn him alive. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, those translucent eyes were slightly brimmed with red. He walked out of the heavenly court and continued to walk around aimlessly until he found himself at a vacant building. 

"The court of the Heavenly Emperor" was carved on the sign in gold letters, but some of the paint was already starting to flake off. cobwebs were already starting to form on some of the corners, and it was clear that the building had not been in use for several years. It wasn't exactly dilapidated, but it was abandoned and forlorn. One could see a glimpse of that former glory in the flaking gold paint and the cracked sliver statues. Lan WangJi stared at it for a second before turning around once again to leave. The word "Emperor" reminded him too much of Wei Ying, so he refused to look at it for even a second more. 

He wandered around a bit longer and finally found himself at a new building. A new sign had just been hung up, and the words "The court of Hanguang" were carved in silver letters across it. Lan WangJi pushed open the door to an empty hall, with only a table at the center and a few smaller tables set up neatly in the hall. 

To be honest, he couldn't even register what was happening right now. It had only been three days after the siege on the burial mounds, and things had already changed so much. For the third time, Lan WangJi sat down and gently unwrapped his guqin. He strummed the chords, one by one, feeling all the emotions that he couldn't express pour into the strings. His eyes closed again, the wetness that was gathering in them finally pouring out, splattering onto his originally spotlessly white clothes. 

Originally, what he had played was inquiry, but when his eyes opened again, he was already playing a completely different song. The melody was soft, like a lullaby gently coaxing a child to sleep. His hands had involuntarily moved to play the same song that he had been playing every day for the past six years, the only song that he had ever sung to someone else.

Lan WangJi placed down his guqin and slapped the ground as if he was angry, and for a second anger showed on his face. But soon, he regained his composure and rewrapped his guqin and placed it away. He walked past the main hall, to a small room on the side, presumably his room. Inside, was a bed, a desk, and an incense burner. Lan WangJi sat down at the desk, his hand trembling as he picked up a calligraphy brush, but just as soon as he picked it up, he put it back down. 

"Ridiculous," he mumbled under his breath. But who was ridiculous? Was it him who refused to let go, who lied and clung on to something that was gone? Or was it Wei WuXian who had rudely left without even a greeting?

Lan WangJi lay down on the bed, and for the first time in a long time, he had no idea what to do. He felt his hairpin slip to the side, but the perfect, spotless Hanguang-Jun didn't care enough to fix it. It wasn't early, already almost nine in the evening, but Lan WangJi didn't want to sleep, and neither did he want to stay awake. He felt as if he was stuck in a dream, and if he just closed his eyes and reopened them, he would be back at the Library Pavilion, copying texts with that ridiculous bastard.

"Hanguang-Jun, are you in there?"

Lan WangJi heard Xie Lian's voice coming from outside the building. Quickly, he fixed his hairpin and crooked forehead ribbon and walked out to greet Xie Lian. He opened the door and quickly bowed. Xie Lian smiled and returned the favor once again. 

"Hanguang-Jun, you left so early, I was worried about you. Do you not want to join us?" 

"Yeah, not coming to your own party is quite rude," a deep voice echoed from behind Xie Lian.

"San Lang!" Xie Lian turned around and scolded the man behind him, while Hua Cheng only smiled devilishly. 

"Mn, I'll be right back," Lan WangJi replied and bowed. He turned around to leave, and didn't want to look back. Only when he heard Xie Lian and Hua Cheng's footsteps fade off into the distance did Lan WangJi turn back and walk outside the court of Hanguang. The air in heaven was perpetually warm, not too cold, not too hot, but at the moment, Lan WangJi felt like he could freeze to death. Suddenly the word felt so much colder. 

Lan WangJi went back to the heavenly court and sat down, watching the performances distractedly, his eyes glazing over. Just as the final curtains dropped and the crowd dispersed, a man ran in, his hair disheveled, his eyes panicked as he sputtered.

"Y-y-your highness!"

Xie Lian looked down at him and kneeled down.

"What is it?"

"Tong'lu-Tong'lu... it opened again!"


	3. Road to The Ghost Mountain; Green Robes Appear Again

"Tong'lu opened?" Xie Lian asked, his voice slightly shaking. "But...there was no warning, and it just opened a few months before..."He looked back at Hua Cheng, who's face was slightly frowning, his eyes closed, as if bearing through any sort of pain.

"San Lang, are you alright? When did this pain begin?"

Hua Cheng opened his eyes and forced out a smile, but the strain in his voice could be heard if you listened closely.

"Gege, there's no need to worry about me. It only began a short while ago, I should be fine."

Xie Lian scratched his head and turned back towards the kneeling man.

"Are you sure it had opened, and that it's not some kind of mistake?"

"One hundred percent! Your highness, I was on a mission, and all the ghosts started howling in pain! I knew something was fishy, so I went to go check, and the mountain had opened, so I came immediately to find you!"

"When was this?" Xie Lian asked urgently.

"Just about an hour ago!"

Everyone knew that Mount. Tong'lu birthed ghost kings, and the ghosts that came out of that mountain terrified the heavens. If another Crimson Rain Sought Flower or another Black Water Sinking Ships came out of the mountain, it would be bearable. Annoying, but bearable. But if another White Clothed Calamity came out of the mountain, it would be a whole other story. This is why the heaven officials could not take the risk, and had to go down to stop the birth of another ghost king.

"Who is coming with me?"

At first, the entire room was silent. Everyone remembered what happened at Tong'lu the last time, and nobody wanted to go again. That is, until an icy cold voice replied.

"I will."

The person that spoke is none other than the icy cold Lan WangJi!

"Hanguang-Jun, it's very dangerous, you should start with more simple tasks to increase worshippers first." 

Lan WangJi didn't flinch.

"I need merits."

Xie Lian instantly understood.

"Ok, you can come along."

After Lan WangJi stepped forward, people began rushing forward one by one, until the entire court was a mess. Helpless, Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.

"Everybody, calm down, we'll go one by one! We can't have too many people or else it would be too obvious!"

"Your highness, I'll go," two voices spoke in unison. General Xuanzhen cast a look at General Nanyang. 

"Mu Qing, shut up, I said it first."

"Pfft, I wanted to go with your highness first, you don't have to. You should stay here taking care of the baby."Both of their voices were dripping with spite.

"Uhh, Feng Xin, Mu Qing, you can both come along."

Feng Xin rolled his eyes and Mu Qing scoffed. "Yes, your highness," they said in unison once again, much to both of their annoyance.

"Your highness, this official may be of some assistance during the trip," the voice of a female sounded. 

"Ling Wen Zhen Jun, don't think you're in the clear just because his highness forgives you. You're still a criminal," a heaven official shouted at her. 

Xie Lian mused about how strange it was that Ling Wen and his positions in heaven had essentially switched ever since his third ascension.

"Ling Wen, you've seen the chaos heaven was in without you, it would be better for you to stay here and take care of matters while I'm gone."

Ling Wen nodded, and continued to read scriptures at her desk. "Your highness, may I accompany you?" the deep voice of a man sounded.

"Ah-"

It was Pei Ming. Xie Lian had remembered what had happened the last time Pei Ming went to Tong'lu with his ghost candies, and having such a big man at his side would be a negative. But at the same time, he was a powerful martial god on par with Feng Xin and Mu Qing, and not far behind himself in terms of martial prowess. 

"General Ming Guang, you are always welcome, but please don't draw too much attention to yourself."

"Noted."

Xie Lian was originally hoping a few more people may come forward, but seeing that most of these heaven officials were of the middle court, and the prominent upper court officials such as Quan YiZhen, Lang QianQiu, and Yushi Huang were either injured or on leave, there wasn't much of a chance for that to happen.

Feng Xin, Mu Qing, and Pei Ming all went back to their respective courts, to prepare, and Xie Lian asked once more:

"Who else would like to come?"

Seeing that even General Ming Guang was accepted with such hesitance, nobody wanted to make a fool of themselves in front of Xie Lian by stepping up.

"Gege, if none of these cowards are willing to do something of importance, then just let it be. We can get leaving now," Hua Cheng said.

"San Lang is right, we should get moving as soon as possible," Xie Lian replied with a serious expression. He took a look at Lan WangJi, who was still standing there, stiff as a board. "Is Hanguang-Jun not going to prepare?"

Lan WangJi shook his head, and said no more. Xie Lian nodded, seeing that Lan WangJi had just ascended, and that there weren't many belongings he had. About fifteen minutes later, everyone was ready, and the group of six jumped down from the heavens, to the mortal realm, all of them disguising their true identities with fake appearances and peasant clothing. 

Mu Qing and Feng Xin took upon the appearances of Fu Yao and Nan Feng, Pei Ming still in his usual appearance, except no longer donning armor. Xie Lian had no need to change because he was already wearing the least conspicuous attire possible, and Hua Cheng was in his San Lang skin, wearing a simple black tunic. Lan WangJi refused to take off his headband ribbon, which drew attention to them like the plague, because it was a sign of the prestigious Lan Sect, so he had to wear a veiled hat instead.

The five of them traveled on foot to not draw attention to themselves. Since the night was already dark, they decided to stay at an inn for the night, and set off on the official journey tomorrow. 

"Gege, why not go there?" asked Hua Cheng, pointing at the most splendorous inn in the city, adorned with gold and fancy lanterns.

Xie Lian smiled and replied: "No need. We can just stay there," he said, and pointed toward a simple building on the road, with the words 

"Tianyin* Inn" on the sign. "Is that fine?"

Pei Ming smiled and put his thumb up, while Feng Xin and Mu Qing were too busy rolling on the ground trying to tear each other's eyes out to notice. Xie Lian took a glance at Lan WangJi, who only let out a small "Mn".

Xie Lian walked into the inn and grinned at the innkeeper, going through his sleeves looking for some money. Now that he was worshipped as a god again, he had an abundance of money, though he rarely ever bought anything. The innkeeper asked:

"How many rooms?"

Seeing that there were six people on their journey, Xie Lian opened his mouth and said:

"Six-"

"Five rooms please," Hua Cheng said.

Xie Lian looked back to see Hua Cheng smiling mischievously, and couldn't help but smile himself.

"Yes sir!" He dropped five keys into Xie Lian's hands and directed them up the stairs. Xie Lian suddenly felt a hand on his right shoulder. Thinking it was Hua Cheng, he turned around, only to find the face of a smiling young man behind him.

"Your highness, did you miss me?"

"Lord Wind Master!" Xie Lian called, smiling.

Shi QingXuan's face was no longer as pristine as before, covered with dirt and grime, but his smile was just as radiant as ever. After the final battle against White No-Face, Xie Lian had healed Shi QingXuan's arms and legs, so now he was able to run around and laugh as usual. He had been cultivating as a beggar on the streets, so he had gained back about 30% of his spiritual power, and with the help of spiritual candies, he was able to wield the wind master fan almost as well as before.

"Why are you here?" Xie Lian asked.

"Not much, just wandering around. My friends had to go do some stuff, so I was lonely."

"Then would you like to join us?"

"That would be great!"

Xie Lian told the innkeeper:

"One more room please!"

The innkeeper dropped one more key into his hand.

Shi QingXuan turned around and giggled as he saw Pei Ming standing around, flirting with random girls as Feng Xin and Mu Qing argued about who was better to Xie Lian. A tall, white figure wearing a veiled hat caught his eye.

"Hey, who's this?" Shi QingXuan asked. 

"That's HanGuang-Jun," Xie Lian replied. He opened his communication array with Shi QingXuan, making sure nobody else could hear them. 

"He just ascended to heaven today."

"Lucky him! He gets to travel with your highness on his first day of being a god. Back when I just ascended, I had to do stupid things like clean out water ghouls from the pipes."

Xie Lian chuckled.

"Also, why is he so quiet? I thought he was a statue for a second."

"He was raised that way and he doesn't much like to speak."

Shi QingXuan laughed and exited the communication array. After a short while, the seven of them entered their own room, with Xie Lian sleeping in the same room as Hua Cheng. They unpacked their stuff and prepared to go to sleep.

Lan WangJi lay awake in his bed. Although it was already midnight, he had no intention of falling asleep. He tossed and turned, wrinkling his pristine clothes and messing up his perfectly brushed hair. It was only until one in the morning that he had fallen asleep. It was precisely nine the next morning when he awoke, the sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating his face. Lan WangJi sat up, and fixed his hair, which had been messed up during the night. He fixed his clothes, put on his veiled hat, and opened the door to his room. When he got down to the lobby, Xie Lian and Hua Cheng were already up.

"Your Highness, Chengzhu," he quietly whispered so others couldn't hear as he bowed.

Xie Lian returned the bow and Hua Cheng nodded. 

"What time is it," Lan WangJi asked for some strange, morbid reason.

"Nine in the morning, approximately," Xie Lian responded.

Nine...

"Here, Hanguang-Jun, why don't you join us for breakfast?" Xie Lian continued.

"Mn," Lan WangJi replied.

He sat down at the table and took a bowl of plain congee, scooping up a bite and sipping.

"Hey!" a voice shouted. They turned around to find Shi QingXuan, whose face was now clean, and his robes were now a nice white as well.

"...QingXuan, I see you finally washed your robes? How are you today?"

"Finally your highness is willing to call me QingXuan!" Shi QingXuan laughed, as he flicked his hair behind his shoulder. He took out a fan, not the wind master fan, just a normal fan he used to fan himself.

It wasn't because Xie Lian wanted to call him QingXuan, but rather because calling him "Lord Wind Master" would be too conspicuous. If he had called him "your highness", that could just be played off as a dumb gag, but Lord Wind Master is still the name of an elemental god, and to call it out loud would just be looking for death. After Pei Ming, Mu Qing, and Feng Xin came down, they all ate a quick breakfast and set off toward Tong'lu. They stopped at a town for lunch at about noon, and continued on their trip, until they got to another small town. 

"Hello travelers?" one person asked. 

"How are you?" another one asked.

Xie Lian smiled and waved to them. The townspeople were friendly and welcoming, asking them how their day was going, offering them loquats, and overall being friendly to them. Almost too friendly, considering how new and unknown they were. Xie Lian walked by, noticing a newly erected shrine, a medium sized temple for a new god. Inside was a man holding a guqin, his hair flowing gracefully, a forehead ribbon waving in the wind, even though it was carved in stone. The baskets were overflowing with offerings and incense. Xie Lian smiled, seeing that the god they worshipped was Lan WangJi, and the fact that they couldn't recognize him even with him right in front of him was amusing. 

"Gege, don't you think something is amiss about this place?" a voice whispered to Xie Lian.

Xie Lian nodded, noticing how although the villagers greeted them, beside that, they didn't talk much, but the villagers were not hostile. It wasn't until they almost were out of the town that they realized something was seriously wrong here. And this was only thanks to Shi QingXuan.

Shi QingXuan had tripped on a rock, diving headfirst into a passerby.

"QingXuan!" Xie Lian had called out, reaching his arm out to grab the falling Wind Master, but he wasn't fast enough, and Shi QingXuan was just about to fall into the chest of a passerby! But then incredibly, the villager had not only not minded, but had just kept on walking. The second Shi QingXuan should've hit his chest, instead he went straight through it.

"Owww...." Shi QingXuan muttered, but even in his stumbling confusion, he had realized something was off. The group looked at each other, and then at the villagers passing by them.

"Hello travelers?" one person asked. 

"How are you?" another one asked.

It was only then they realized that, this entire village was just an illusion.


	4. Dark Illusion in a Nameless Town; First Statue of the Light Bearing Lord

Xie Lian frantically looked around the town, eyes scanning the surroundings, looking for a trace of heavy energy, resentful or spiritual, in order to find the eye of the illusion. The people walking toward them came in clumps of four or five and a group of these "villagers" came about every ten minutes. If you hadn't paid attention, you could easily brush it off as them being similar in mannerism, but if you looked closely, it was clear that every group of people repeated the same words and phrases. The group had been walking for nearly an hour at that point, and still no end of the village was in sight. 

"Everyone stay close to me. We're going to walk in this town for another twenty minutes. Keep a lookout for any people that look exactly the same or any movements and buildings that look identical," Xie Lian called out to everyone. 

Everyone nodded. Xie Lian had seen one of these illusions once or twice in his life before. They were extremely difficult to break, and if not careful, the illusion may quickly turn hostile, trapping you forever. The casual name for this illusion was the "time resetting illusion", or simply "loop illusion." It was characterized by repeated faces and events, usually small and subtle things. But this one was obviously an illusion, to the point where big things like people and even entire buildings are repeated. Additionally, they had even directly interacted with the illusion by way of touch, and the illusion had still not turned hostile. The only logical reason for this, Xie Lian concluded, was either the caster was inexperienced or the illusion was not intentional at all!

After walking for twenty minutes, the group decided to stop and sit down in a remote area, as ordered by Xie Lian.

"Have any of you noticed anything odd?"

Hua Cheng spoke up.

"Could gege be thinking this is a loop illusion?" 

"Mn," Xie Lian replied solemnly and nodded.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing exchanged looks, but quickly looked away.

"Your highness, if this is truly a loop illusion, the illusion should've already sucked us in or at least attacked us because Lord Wind Master had directly interacted with it, which should've triggered a response," Mu Qing spoke.

Xie Lian nodded. 

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out that either the caster is not very skilled or the illusion is not meant to be malevolent," Hua Cheng said as he snorted. Mu Qing rolled his eyes, as he had long since learned to ignore Hua Chgnezhu's sarcastic remarks. 

"En, San Lang is right. I believe it is the latter, however, because to create an illusion of this scale with such a well concealed center must mean the caster is quite well versed," Xie Lian explained.

"Has anyone in this group encountered one of these illusions before?" he continued.

"Ooh! Me! Me!" Shi QingXuan loudly exclaimed.

"Lord Wind Master, where had you seen this array before?" 

"When I was on a mission with-" Shi QingXuan's smile died down. Xie Lian saw that his mood was down, and was quick to pat him on the back.

"Please continue," he said.

"Well, we encountered one of these, and he said that these were made from fragmented memories of people who had died, and these memories were put on loop, using resentful energy to keep the illusion going. The more resentful energy from newcomers, the more powerful it is. He said to never panic in such a scenario."

Xie Lian nodded. Everything Shi QingXuan said was true, but that didn't seem like the case here.

Pei Ming spoke up.

"Well, in any case, we should try to find the center of the illusion first, and try to figure out why it is like this second."

"Mn," the usually silent Lan WangJi agreed.

Xie Lian thought for a while about what the center of the loop could be, and remembered a suspiciously conspicuous place among all the small houses and simple buildings. The Han Guang temple! 

"All of you, remember that Han Guang temple from earlier?" Xie Lian urgently said.

Some people nodded, some people shook their heads. Xie Lian had no time to worry about what they thought, but he had to go check the Han Guang temple for something about it felt very, very off. 

"Follow me, and don't touch anything except each other, we cannot afford to lose any time," Xie Lian said urgently. Although the illusion had not turned malevolent yet, there was no promise that it wouldn't soon. Xie Lian infused some spiritual energy into his legs, and ran as light as a swallow touching water, his feet barely touching the ground. When he got to the Han Guang temple, Hua Cheng was right beside him, and it only took the others a matter of seconds to catch up. 

Now that they were inside the temple, Xie Lian got a closer look at it. The statue of Lan WangJi in the center looked very much like him, but when he looked closely, his left eye was bigger than his right, his mouth in an angry frown rather than an indifferent line, his eyebrows one higher and one lower. The craftsmanship was quite crude, which was to be expected from a town devoid of all other temples, and even if Lan WangJi was known far and wide, not all of his statues were going to be exquisite. The craftsmanship on this one could only be described as the same level of the first statue Hua Cheng had carved of him. But although the craftsmanship was crude, the state of this statue was immaculate, just like the rest of this town, another fruit of this illusion. 

Lan WangJi stared up at his own statue and let out a puff of air. He wasn't one to used to imperfection and crudeness, and this statue was anything but perfect and polished. He looked down at the floor and up at the statue again, and he should've felt embarrassed, but instead he felt almost...warmth? It was messy and unlike him, but it felt like a certain someone. A certain someone that died.

Xie Lian wandered around the temple, looking at all the offerings and all the tiny details, looking for anomalies, but came up empty. He shook his head in frustration and sighed. The caster was no doubt skilled, but if he did not create this illusion with malicious intent, what intent did he have? 

A loud cracking noise came from behind them. Turned out, Mu Qing got so frustrated that he punched a wall, forgetting that they were in an illusion. By the time he realized what he had done, the temple was destroyed, and Shi QingXuan was crushed under a pile of oranges. Although Mu Qing's punch caused unnecessary chaos, it proved one thing: the Han Guang temple was the center of the illusion.

This was because they were able to physically interact with the illusion, which would only be the case if it were the eye. Normally, this would be a problem, for it would be risky to interact with the illusion unless you were more than nine-tenths sure it was the eye, less you risk it turning violent. But this loop was different, so it was safe to say, at least for the time being, they could be assured they were safe.

Xie Lian quickly helped Shi QingXuan up, and knelt down to inspect the ruin. They had destroyed the eye. At least, they were close. They had to crush the holding object completely into dust for the illusion to dissipate. The holding object was the object that anchored the illusion, the object in the entire illusion that had the heaviest amount of resentful energy. Xie Lian had a feeling he knew what it was. 

Xie Lian cleared out the rubble to find the statue of Lan WangJi, lying face down on the floor, pieces of stone surrounding it. He turned around to face the actual Lan WangJi and said a quick "sorry" before extending Ruoye to wrap around the statue. He poured a slight bit of spiritual energy into it, and the statue shattered, completely dissipating. A strong gust of wind blew, causing the group to close their eyes and shield their faces, and when they opened their eyes again, the idealistic town was gone. It was another victim of the recent war on Luanzang Gang, a grim reminder of the reality they were currently in. 

Lan WangJi turned his head away and pulled the veil on his head closer together, now completely covering his face. He didn't want anyone to see his quivering lips and red eyes. 

The HanGuang Statue was newly erected, strange for a town devoid of all people. And yet, although the temple was newly erected, and therefore not a part of the war, it still had a copious amount of resentment. Xie Lian couldn't think of a single reason why this would be, and could only shake his head.

"All of you, we should keep moving. Because of the state of this town, we should be close to the burial mounds, and it is imperative to keep watch for vengeful ghosts. Despite the conditions of any of the places we encounter, we cannot tarry for too long. Remember our mission," Xie Lian said solemnly.

"Gege, since this is a ruined town, and most other towns in the area are like this, it wouldn't hurt to use the distance shortening array, would it?" 

Xie Lian nodded, but then thought for a while. 

"This may be a problem because first: we have no idea where it could take us to unless we spend an excessive amount of spiritual energy, and second, nobody is willing to give up their blood for fear of a ghost or fierce corpse finding it nearby. Plus, it couldn't decrease the distance by much anyways since Tong'lu stifles all signs of spiritual energy near it."

Everyone nodded, even Hua Cheng who thought of the idea.

"We could just ride on swords," Mu Qing suggested. The problem was that riding on swords was not only too conspicuous, but too energy draining too, considering what a long trip it was going to be. Left without much of an option, the group of them kept on walking and decided that once they found a suitable place to distance shorten to. 

When they got to the edge of the town, they found the signature marks of a loop array, a large circle around the area of the loop, and symbols and characters scribbled on. Lan WangJi was especially curious because although he had seen much, it was no doubt that his sights could not parallel to the level of the gods. For the lower cultivation realm, this method was practically unheard of, so the caster should be from the higher realm

The next few towns they visited were all similar to this one, albeit without the time loop array. Battered, ruined, a mirror image of Xian Le after the civil war. Xie Lian couldn't help but feel pity in his heart as he walked past rows and rows of dead bodies and demolished houses, blackened with ash and reeking of rot. Everyone else was solemn as well, and even Shi QingXuan waved his fan nervously and didn't dare say a thing. The previously lively Feng Xin and Mu Qing didn't bother going at each other's throats and Pei Ming's face was devoid of emotion. It was impossible to see Lan WangJi's expression through the veil over his face, but Xie Lian knew it wasn't pleasant either. 

Every one of them in the group had seen a scene like this, whether it was the rebellion of Xuli, the destruction of Xian Le, or the Sunshot Campaign, every one of them had seen the sufferings of battle, the desecration of war. Resent hung over them heavily, like a curtain, or the veil over Lan WangJi's head. They had fought fierce ghosts and demons the whole way through, and finally entered an area with mountains and forests and lush green grass.

This was when they heard the familiar chant.

"THE WORLD BE KILN; THE SOULS BE COPPER"

"WATERS DEEP AND FIRES BURN; ADVERSITIES BURIED WITHIN"

"THE WORLD BE KILN; THE SOULS BE COPPER"

"WATERS DEEP AND FIRES BURN; ADVERSITIES BURIED WITHIN"

And they knew they had come to the right place. 


	5. The World be Kiln, The Souls be Copper

A band of ghosts paraded around the perimeter of the mountain as a strange sense of Deja Vu washed over Xie Lian. The last time they came to Tong'lu, the same thing happened, a band of ghosts parading together, vowing to become a demon king and showing mercy to each other in the name of justice. But all 3 demon kings that came out of the mountain knew this was impossible. In this world, it was eat or be eaten, there was no third way out, there was no option for "mercy." 

However, unlike last time, Hua Cheng didn't just press his forehead to Xie Lian's, but rather his lips to Xie Lian's. He felt a strange energy pulse through him, and only after Xie Lian pulled away did Hua Cheng stop. 

"San Lang, you were done transferring energy within the first few seconds, but you continued to kiss me," Xie Lian said while giggling. 

"Haha, gege caught me," Hua Cheng replied, a look of mischief in his eyes.

Of course, while entering Tong'lu the group had to disguise their heavenly scent, even Shi Qingxuan, who was now a mortal, due to his spiritual energy. The quickest way to do this was to have Hua Cheng stain all of them with his overpowering scent of evil, but it was obvious he didn't even want to touch the others. 

"Uh- your highness, dare I ask, what about us?" Mu Qing said, impatient. 

Xie Lian looked around and sighed. He tapped into the communication array, and reached straight for Ling Wen. 

"Ling Wen, do you have the brocade immortal with you?" he asked, hoping she did.

A moment of silence occurred before her hushed sigh and reply.

"Your highness, I do, but I may need to come down to deliver it to you, so it may take hours if not days. Or, if you want, I could just drop it from heaven and try to get it as close as I could to you, but there's no guarantee where it would land." 

Xie Lian contemplated for a moment. They had no time to spare, yet if Ling Wen dropped the brocade immortal and it landed in the wrong place and a malicious ghost managed to get their hands on it, it would be just as catastrophic as if they tarried for a few more days. However, if they tarried any more, they would be sure to fail, but if Ling Wen dropped it, they only had a chance of failing.

"Ling Wen, please drop the brocade immortal." 

"On it."

A moment passed. Then two. Then three. Xie Lian prayed and prayed that the brocade immortal would appear, but even after five minutes, there was nothing. Xie Lian sighed and conceded, thinking that even after the shattering of the shackles, his luck still hadn't improved. Then he felt a large mass fall right on his head as he stumbled backwards in shock. He fell into a pair of arms, presumably Hua Cheng's, and his hands instinctively shot to his head as he pulled the mass off his head.

When he saw what it was, Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. It was none other than the brocade immortal, a glimmering shade of black, silky smooth and light as a feather. 

_Ling Wen ah, you're aim is really too accurate!_

"Well, that's one person out of the way now I guess," Xie Lian sighed, ignoring the judgmental looks from Feng Xin and Mu Qing. 

"Well who's wearing it?" Xie Lian asked.

Deathly silence. Of course, everyone in the group trusted Xie Lian to not brutally slaughter them, but still, after what happened with Quan Yizhen, it was pretty obvious nobody really wanted to get close to that thing ever again. 

"I'll wear it," the oblivious Lan Wangji said. 

Xie Lian chuckled.

"Sure thi-" 

"Hanguang Jun, come here," Hua Cheng said. 

Xie Lian looked over at Hua Cheng in shock, thinking of what could possibly happen next, but Hua Cheng just smiled reassuringly. When Hua Cheng lifted his hand, Xie Lian felt compelled to flinch, but instead of hurting Lan Wangji, he just placed his hand on his forehead. After a few seconds, he lifted his hand off his head and said:

"Consider yourself hidden."

Xie Lian and the rest of the group blinked in shock. Hua Cheng considered Lan Wangji a....friend? Was it because of what Lan Wangji had gone through, and his kindness to Xie Lian? 

"Many thanks to Chengzhu." 

The entire group stared for a few seconds, contemplating what just happened. Could it be that Hua Cheng showed kindness to someone other than Xie Lian? Even Xie Lian stood stunned for a few seconds. 

"Well, please continue then," Hua Cheng said coyly.

"Since Huanguang-Jun won't be wearing the brocade immortal, who will be?"

Another moment of pause before a nervous giggle from Shi Qingxuan.

"Y-your highness, I should wear it because it also can help protect the body from attacks, and durability wise, I'm probably the worst out of you all, since I'm only in a mortal's body right...hahahaha-"

"If lord wind master wants to wear it, then it would be my pleasure."

Xie Lian passed the robe over to Shi Qingxuan, who slid it over his head, the black silk flowing over his body like water. He wiped away a bead of sweat at his brow and looked over at the remaining three, Pei Ming silently chuckling as Feng Xin and Mu Qing sent side glares at each other. 

"So, how will we deal with you three?" Xie Lian said, maybe to himself, maybe to them. He racked his brain for answers, but came up empty.

"Well I always have those candies if your highness needs them," Pei Ming said.

Xie Lian laughed helplessly and only said:

"General Pei, we'll use them if we need them."

Xie Lian paced around for a few seconds, racking his brain for any solution other than Pei Ming's candies. In the end, he could only surrender with an exasperated sigh.

"General Pei I thi-"

"Gege, I have three ghosts for you," Hua Cheng said behind Xie Lian. 

"Ah- San Lang, when did you-"

Truly nobody had even noticed when Hua Cheng was gone, he left without a trace, and perhaps for only a few seconds, yet already three ghosts had died by his hands. Slaughtering ghosts was not new for Crimson Rain Sought flower, quite normal in fact, as he had done this thousands of times his first time here. They were merely three spirits that happened to be in the vicinity, and only wanted peace, but to expect peace in Tong'lu would be like a lamb expecting to be fed in a slaughterhouse. Xie Lian looked at the three ghosts for a second, and understood what Hua Cheng meant.

"Feng Xin, Mu Qing, General Pei, please hold still. It will be over quickly." 

Xie Lian placed each slaughtered spirit in front of a Heavenly Official, and formed his hands into a hand seal. This was a forceful placement of another spiritual system into one's body. Extremely painful for sure, like the thousands of hours of sweat and blood that goes into forming a golden core, but condensed into a few seconds as the spiritual core enters the body. However, this was merely a weak demonic core, which would not cause much pain during the instance it enters the body, and will probably wear away in a few weeks due to the weak nature of the ghosts' spiritual energy. 

Xie Lian could see all three of them flinch the slightest amount, but within a few seconds they returned to normal. Xie Lian turned to Hua Cheng and asked:

"San Lang, you can feel the demonic energy radiating off of them, is that right?"

Hua Cheng nodded. 

"Well then, I suppose it's safe to assume we can continue. Make sure not to get into a mess with any group of ghosts, that would only serve to make a bigger mess."

Everyone nodded.

"And if you recognize anyone from your past, ignore them. This will either stir up their resent or your resent, and if that happens, it will only delay our arrival in the center." 

The group camped on the ground for a while, waiting for the first layer of the illusion to move past them, so that they can continue. Xie Lian made sure to hold Hua Cheng's to notice whether or not his skin would become burning hot. As they continued, Hua Cheng's temperature rose and rose, until Xie Lian told him:

"San Lang, please take a break. If we ever need you, I'll lend you spiritual energy." 

"Gege, are you really sure you won't need me?" 

Xie Lian sighed. He was all too familiar with Hua Cheng and the fact that, unless he absolutely could not, he would always try to bear through the pain to stand in front of himself.

"San Lang please, get some rest, consider this doing me a favor," Xie Lian half coaxed half pleaded, wishing Hua Cheng would finally give himself a break. Finally, Hua Cheng conceded, and closed his eyes. Xie Lian wondered what to do with him, until Xie Lian didn't have to answer that question anymore. In front of him, instead of the sleeping Crimson Rain Sought Flower, there was a little kid, his face handsome and mischievous, but his expression that of an adult. Xie Lian couldn't help but chuckle at how cute Hua Cheng was before hauling him onto his back and hoping the others wouldn't notice.

Lan Wangji turned around to see Xie Lian cradling a ten year old boy who bore a striking resemblance to Hua Chengzhu, but turned right back around, for the way he held the child looked something like how a certain person held a radish in one hand, and a child in the other. The group continued on their merry way before trembles through the ground sent them all off guard. 

"Your highness!" Feng Xin and Mu Qing shouted in unison, but unlike the previous time, they had no time to be angry with each other. Because of the spiritual core and demonic energy newly planted inside their body, they could sense powerful resentful energy, and the look on their faces indicated that there was a whole lot of it. 

"T-There's something powerful coming from the south. If we keep heading that way, we'll be caught up in a storm!" Feng Xin yelled.

Xie Lian grabbed his forehead. 

"How many killed?" Xie Lian had asked. 

Feng Xin stood silently for a moment, and during that time, Mu Qing spoke up.

"There's a lot of unknowns here, whether or not it's a single party or an all out war, and whether or not there's killing, but from what I feel, at least three thousand are dead."

Three thousand!

_please accept this cringy upload i pulled all my motivation for this sob_


End file.
